Hurricane & Tropical Storm Watches Issued For Portions Of Florida Gulf Coast
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TRACKING TROPICAL DEPRESSION 9
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Hurricane and tropical storm watches have been issued for portions of Florida Gulf Coast because of the torrential rains being dumped by Tropical Depression Nine.
At 5 p.m. Tuesday, the center of the system was about 345 miles west of Key West.
Maximum sustained winds were sitting at 35 mph with higher gusts.
Some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and the depression is expected to become a tropical storm Tuesday night or early Wednesday.
The depression is crawling toward the northwest at 5 mph. A turn toward the north-northwest is expected Tuesday night, followed by a turn toward the north-northeast on Wednesday.
On the forecast track, the center will approach the coast in the watch area on Thursday.
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for the Anclote River to Indian Pass.
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect from the west of Indian Pass to the Walton/Bay County line
The depression is expected to produce additional rain accumulations of 3 to 5 inches over western Cuba through Wednesday, with maximum storm total amounts up to 20 inches.
Storm total rainfall amounts of 5 to 10 inches are possible over much of the Florida peninsula through Friday morning, with isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches possible.
Meanwhile, Tropical Depression Eight remains disorganized as it moves slowly offshore of North Carolina.
At 5 p.m., the center of the system was about 60 miles south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
Maximum sustained winds were 35 mph with higher gusts.
The system was moving to the north-northwest at 5 mph. This general motion is expected tonight with a turn toward the northeast forecast on Wednesday.
On the forecast track, the center of the depression will be near the Outer Banks of North Carolina this evening and overnight.
Some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours and the depression could become a tropical storm overnight.
A Tropical Storm Warning is up for the coast of North Carolina from Cape Lookout to Oregon Inlet and Pamlico Sound.
The depression is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 1 to 3 inches with isolated maximum amounts of 5 inches over far eastern North Carolina, including the Outer Banks.
As for Hurricane Gaston, it has strengthened a little more.
At 5 p.m., the center of the hurricane was about 750 miles east of Bermuda.
Maximum sustained winds had crept up to 110 mph with higher gusts. Hurricane-force winds now extend outward up to 45 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 150 miles.
The system is now chugging east-northeast at 10 mph. This general motion with an increase in forward speed is expected during the next couple of days.
Some weakening is forecast during the next 48 hours.
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